News

Gardner chosen to head county committee

By Melanie Lekocevic

CATSKILL — Wayne Speenburgh, the Republican chairman of the Greene County Legislature, reached across the aisle Wednesday to appoint a Democrat to head up the county’s Human Resources Committee. Legislator Larry Gardner will take over the position from Legislator Keith Valentine, who has chaired the committee for the past five years.

Valentine will retain his other duties with the legislature, and is stepping down from the committee only because of his extensive commitments with the county. According to Speenburgh, Valentine has worked with the legislature extensively on insurance issues — after all, he owns Valentine Insurance Center — and most recently on the Think Big campaign.

Speenburgh added that he wants Valentine to “redouble his efforts” when it comes to that campaign, especially since Catskill was recently selection as one of the “Top Ten Coolest Small Towns” in the United States. In doing so, Valentine will work to develop a vision for the county’s Empire Zone, which is designed to attract new businesses to upstate New York by offering tax incentives.

“Time is of the essence. Growth is coming, and we need smart growth,” Speenburgh said.

Meanwhile, Gardner becomes the first Democrat to head the Human Resources Committee in more than 30 years. He has been a legislator in Greene County for the past 26 years.

“My goal is to carry on and do a good job as the committee chairman,” Gardner told the legislature. “I appreciate the confidence you are showing me.”

In other news, the county recently extended the contract for the Rip Van Winkle Express bus service for another year.

The service was first established in 2005, and is operated by the Greene County Transit System. It transports passengers between the village of Catskill and outlying areas of the county, everywhere from Windham to Athens, to Durham and to Acra. Fares range from $1 to $1.50, depending on where you board the bus.

Since the bus route was created, it has been operated by the bus company First Student, which was formerly Laidlaw Education Services. It is the same company that is used by school districts around the county, and officials say the arrangement has worked well so far.

“They provide excellent service, and I recommend we extend the contract,” AICP Director Warren Hart told county leaders.

The contract will be extended from Jan. 1, 2009 through Dec. 31, 2009, with a contract increase of 4.2 percent. That rate jump mirrors the Consumer Price Index generated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

When the initial contract with the company — which at that time was Laidlaw — was established, it provided for a four-year extension beginning in January 2006, which would be negotiated in one year increments. The contract extension agreed to by the Greene County Legislature will provide for the fifth year the bus has been servicing Greene County.

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